Our Slow Building Journey
by Lila Toretto Barton
Summary: Part 2 of my Diggle/Oliver series. Sequel to "Slow Burning". Oliver and Diggle are together. This story revolves around moving forward, letting people find out, and dealing with all their emotional baggage as well as outside forces.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Sequel to "Slow Burning". Oliver and Diggle are together. This story revolves around moving forward, letting people find out, and dealing with all their emotional baggage as well as outside forces.

**Note: **I now own Season 1 of Arrow and will be watching it so that I can better develop my stories and such. This takes place after Slow Burning but you will not need to read that because the first chapter of this one is going to be the story Slow Burning.

**Chapter Summary: **After being shot by the Dark Arrow Oliver feels everything spinning out of control everything but his building feelings for John Diggle. Diggle is there for Oliver as he comes to terms with what John has already known.

* * *

**1. Slow Burning**

Oliver lay on the floor of his bedroom, despite protests from his family, trying to quench the slow building burn he was feeling. Getting shot by the Dark Archer brought forth the deep buried emotions he felt towards his bodyguard and friend John Diggle. Oliver didn't know what he was feeling at first because thanks to the island every emotion he had was blocked with no chance of anyone getting through. He had thought that Laurel would make him feel something but she didn't and when one touch from Diggle was all it took to start breaking down his wall, Oliver knew he was in trouble. Luckily he could bury it behind his need for righting the wrongs but when Diggle found out about his secret identity that plan went to shit.

When Diggle expressed disgust for what he did Oliver for the first time in forever felt hurt and he hated it but hope pushed through when Diggle kept his secret. After Dig came to him and agreed to help him and while Oliver was accepting of the help another part of him was helpless because the more time he spent with his bodyguard and accomplice the more he couldn't hide his feelings. When Helena came along Oliver took the opportunity to sleep with her hoping against all odds that it would extinguish what he felt for Diggle but it didn't and in the end he hurt both the bodyguard and Helena.

Oliver again pushed himself to the brink with his vigilante work and the nightclub that he soon didn't take notice of his feelings as much as before but that all ended when the other archer came and almost killed him. In that one moment Oliver was scared. He was scared for Thea, his mother, Tommy, Laurel, and most of all Diggle. When Diggle came to his rescue Oliver felt a moment of relief before he let darkness consume him. Afterwards in the hospital, realizing that Dig had lied again for him, and feeling alone broke him but what broke him more was that Diggle refused to leave him alone. Every wall Oliver had come crumbling down despite his best efforts and for the first time in five years he was feeling something he couldn't explain.

The weeks after his injury Diggle was a constant but quiet presence and Oliver was grateful because those weeks were spent with him trying to come to terms with his feelings. Finally three weeks after Oliver was certain he was ready to face his feelings but he needed to be away from the mansion to do that. It was partly because he was going stir crazy and partly because he didn't want his family around when he talked to Diggle. Oliver found his apartment address and since the bodyguard was off for the night for the first time in months he went there first. He knocked and leaned against the wall next to the door when he felt his body start to ache and protest from movement. Diggle answered the door in sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"Oliver man what are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting not walking around like you didn't just go ten rounds with somebody," Dig said shaking his head and moving to the side knowing it was pointless to argue with the stubborn billionaire.

"Yeah well all I was doing was sitting in the house letting my family hover over me and I was going a little stir crazy," Oliver said walking in and stopping in the living room.

"I have a feeling there's more to this visit than you being stir crazy," Dig said closing the door and coming to stand by Oliver.

Instead of answering with words Oliver grabbed Diggle by his neck and even though he felt the man tense up continued to pull him closer into a kiss. At first Diggle didn't do anything but then after a second, right when Oliver was going to pull away, he responded tugging on Oliver in turn until there wasn't any space between them. The kiss was full of tongue, teeth, and moans but Oliver sighed a little because despite not knowing the name of the emotions he was feeling being here with Dig felt like home and most of all safety, something he hadn't felt for a while.

_**~Diggle/Oliver~**_

Diggle was a military man but he had known from almost the start that it wasn't just the opposite sex he was attracted too. For a while all his encounters were with women but when he was discharged he turned to men. Diggle started working for the Queen's when Oliver Queen was found alive after five years on a deserted island. He hated to admit it but he was intrigued and found himself becoming attracted to the young man. Despite what the kid had said Diggle knew there was more than him being on a deserted island but he had no clue he was a hooded vigilante.

Diggle knew that Oliver was hurt at the disgust he showed but then right as he agreed to help the younger man said man was arrested and the truth of his torture came out. Diggle masked himself as the Hood so he could clear Oliver which luckily worked. The attraction was still there even with all the pushing and shoving they did to each other. Just as Diggle had thought that Oliver accepted the things he was feeling the young man brought Helena into the fold and he didn't trust her at all. Luckily Oliver learned the same thing later on and soon she was gone from everyone's life, at least for now.

Right as things were starting to get better between the two the Dark Archer came and almost killed Oliver. When Diggle found the young man broken and bleeding he felt scared for the first time since his brother's death. He was able to think fast and save Oliver as well as cover up for him so that no one would find out about him.

Weeks of recovering Diggle never left Oliver's side until tonight. He had just gotten ready to go to bed when there was a knock on his door. Opening it he came face to face with an exhausted Oliver. John knew when he came in that the younger man wasn't here just because he was going stir crazy but for something else completely. He just hadn't expected for the kid to be so bold and pull him into a kiss. Diggle waited to make sure Oliver was doing this on his own and knew the answer when he began to pull away. He pulled the blond back in kissing him back and he felt Oliver relax in his arms. Diggle knew this was just the beginning because while he was ready to admit to everything Oliver was still broken from the island and so many other things that he would still need time, time that Diggle had no problem giving to the younger man.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **Oliver is conflicted about his mother and his mission as the Hood. The only thing he seems certain of is Diggle. Spoilers for Season 1 Episode 10 "Burned".

**Note: **I now own Season 1 of Arrow and will be watching it so that I can better develop my stories and such. This takes place after Slow Burning but you will not need to read that because the first chapter of this one is going to be the story Slow Burning.

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**2. Conflicts**

Oliver was conflicted and it didn't seem to stop at just one thing. Walter was missing without a trace of whoever took him and no amount of searching could lead to his discovery. His sister and mother were having troubles with each other and with Walter's disappearance. The only thing he seemed sure of anymore was his relationship with Diggle. The man despite wanting to know never asked how he got his scars or what happened on the island. It had been two weeks since their relationship began and in those two weeks the two of them had not made it past making out like teenagers or some groping and when he had asked Diggle the man just said that they were doing this right and for once Oliver didn't mind. So far it seemed like Carly was the only one that knew of their relationship and that was mainly because after a date at her restaurant one night him and Diggle had snuck into the bathroom for a quick make out session. Carly had then come up to them and warned Oliver against hurting Diggle and then handed them some apple pie to share.

Oliver grunted as he propelled himself during his workout. Even his passion for the mission seemed to dim down along with the confidence that he could do the job. He had failed at defeating the Dark Archer and a part of him feared that if he came face to face with him again that the Dark Archer would win and Oliver would lose those closest to him. This was the nightmare that plagued his mind each night for the past six weeks and on the certain occasions that he spent the night with Diggle, which meant making out and then falling asleep curled around each, the ex-army man was the only one able to calm him down after one of these nightmares. Diggle never asked what they were about but Oliver knew he could guess by the way he clung to the black man like his life depended on it. Last week Oliver had tried to push Diggle away for fear of having someone in his life that he could lose but Diggle wasn't having it and Oliver stopped resisting and gave into his happiness. He aimed his bow and arrow at the yellow ball and felt himself give into his dark thoughts when he missed. Oliver looked up and saw Diggle there and he turned away out of embarrassment for missing the shot because missing a shot meant that he wasn't able to protect the man he was falling in love with.

"How are you doing? Is rehab going good?" Diggle asked. The question was one that he had been asking every day for the past six weeks and Oliver never wanted to answer for fear of letting the man down with his insecurities.

"Any news on Walter?" Oliver asked to take his mind off of his mission and the insecurity he had that he couldn't do it anymore.

"My contacts as the bureau came up short," Diggle said and the man could see the pain in his lover's eyes and he stopped when he was a breath away from the billionaire.

"Either Walter doesn't want to be found or someone doesn't want him to be found," Oliver said looking into dark eyes.

Diggle stepped in front of Oliver and starting telling him that there was a chance that Walter could be dead. Oliver closed his eyes because even though he should hate his lover for telling him this he couldn't because he was thinking the same thing but he had to find out for his mother and Thea.

"I'm not under any notion that he is alive. I know that there is a chance he's dead," Oliver said stepping around Dig to put his bow away.

"What do you want to do?" Diggle asked and Oliver had a feeling he was asking about more than finding Walter but he couldn't deal with anything else right now.

"I don't know. Even the contacts I have couldn't find anything out about Walter," Oliver started not wanting to talk about his mission but his lover wasn't having that.

"I wasn't talking about Walter. The last I checked there were more than a few names ready to be crossed out in this book," Diggle said trying to encourage Oliver and show him that not only did he have a mission but that he was strong enough to overcome any insecurity he had.

"Those people aren't going away right now. With Walter missing my family needs me," Oliver said and walked past Diggle to pull on his shirt.

Diggle sighed and walked over placing the book back where he found it. He stood at Oliver's back and he knew that the billionaire knew he was behind him by the way his muscles relaxed and the former army ranger knew that his lover had been greatly stressed lately by more than their relationship. He turned Oliver around and pulled him into a kiss. The kiss was light and just an acknowledgment of lips and each other. Diggle pulled back and then looked Oliver right in the eye.

"Whatever you decide to do I will support and I'm not going anywhere," Diggle stated and placed a kiss on Oliver's forehead.

Oliver watched Diggle walk away and smiled a little. It seemed that his own bodyguard was the only one who could make him smile lately and he was surprised at how understanding the man was towards him. He knew that if it had been anyone else, someone who didn't know about his nightly activities that there surely would have been a fight but Diggle knew Oliver inside and out and while that sometimes scared Oliver it also reassured him because he felt like he didn't have to hide himself away like he has to do with everyone else and Oliver never wanted to lose Diggle or their relationship.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

Oliver couldn't believe recent events. After stopping the arsonist who turned out to be a firefighter Oliver had felt ready to go ahead with his mission and Diggle was relieved because the blonde was finally starting to become more like him. Unfortunately their peaceful relationship didn't last long when Diggle's old army buddy was suspected of armed robbery. It was their first fight and Oliver didn't know how to handle that but he knew in his gut that Gayner was part of the robbery. He planted a bug on his lover and got there just in time to help Diggle stop anything from happening to him or Carly.

Oliver had wanted to be there for his lover when he was arrested but then Thea had crasher her car. He arrived at the hideout and saw Diggle there leaning against the table with the computer's on it.

"Cops give you a hard time?" Oliver asked not knowing what else to say.

"Not really just told them that Gayner was an old army buddy and that he tried to rope me into the robberies and when I refused he took Carly," Diggle said and turned to face his blonde lover, "I was wrong about Gayner."

"You were also right," Oliver said stepping closer, "you said that I believed in the list more than I believed in you and you were right. After what happened on the island and the things I saw I thought that the list was the only thing I could trust and I was wrong."

Oliver handed the book to Diggle who took it and crossed off Gayner's name. Diggle set the book on the table and pulled Oliver to him. He saw the regret at not trusting him in the blonde's eyes but while Diggle was angry about that he also couldn't help but feel guilty as well because he should have trusted Oliver about Gayner.

"Let's just agree that we were both at fault and leave it at that," Diggle suggested wrapping his arms around Oliver's waist.

Oliver nodded his head in agreement and wrapped his arms around Diggle's neck. Diggle pulled Oliver to him into a heated kiss. The kiss spoke of everything that they regretted in recent events including what happened tonight. Oliver pushed Diggle until he was sitting down in the chair and then settled on his lap, knees on either side of Diggle's waist. Diggle wrapped his arms more firmly around Oliver's waist to make sure he didn't topple over and deepened the kiss. Diggle bit Oliver's bottom lip which caused to blonde to groan and grind down on him causing them both to become more aroused.

Diggle pulled Oliver's head causing his head to arch. He took the opportunity to bit and nip Oliver's neck. Oliver could only hold on as Diggle created marks that he would have to later hide. Oliver whimpered when the black man pulled away and ripped off his jacket and shirt. Before the blonde could say anything Diggle went to the scar on his chest and nipped at it. Oliver gasped when the older man bit down and sucked a mark into his skin. Oliver whined when he heard his phone ring and sighed when Diggle pulled away to look at him. He shook his head and lay it down on the juncture where Diggle's shoulder and neck met. He growled out when it kept ringing and pulled it out of his back pocket to see that it was Thea. Oliver sighed and looked at Diggle as he answered. He heard his sister demand he pick her up and he finally agreed because he didn't want to deal with her attitude right now.

"I have to go deal with my sister," Oliver said looking at Diggle.

"One of these days we are not going to be interrupted," Diggle sighed and released Oliver so the blonde could stand up.

Oliver shook his head because he knew that Diggle was right. Every time the two of them tried to have time alone they were interrupted and both were getting annoyed by it. Diggle stood up and kissed Oliver sighed into it. The both of them unfortunately had family to deal with and they shared a look that promised for more later on after they had dealt with everything, if only it was that easy.


	4. Chapter 4

Four

(Present)

Diggle wrapped his arms around a trembling Oliver praying this would end soon. After arguing with his sister Thea about their father and his affair he had set out to try get her a deal. Sometimes Diggle hated how ungrateful Thea was and she acted like everything was the end of the world which annoyed him because her brother had been stuck on an island for five years. Oliver didn't like it when he got mad at Thea and he could understand that because he was once a brother too but sometimes the love he felt for Oliver made him irrational. Diggle had learned a great many things about his lover including that the Russian Mafia was indebted to him and that he was working with them. None of that changed what he felt nor did it change his commitment to the blonde billionaire. Oliver was stuck in a vertigo induced frenzy reliving memories of his past on the island and the bodyguard did everything he could to sooth his lover.

(The Island - 5 years ago)

Oliver felt fear run through him as he was dragged out of the cage by Yao Fei into a frenzied group. Looking on he saw the man in the half black half red mask that had tortured him the first time beating another man senseless. After it was over Fryers volunteered Oliver as the next contestant and the blonde felt portrayed as his once mentor pushed him towards the masked man to be once again tortured. This was a betrayal that Oliver didn't understand nor did he think he would ever forgive.

(Present)

Diggle heard Oliver screamed as he lay with him on the metal table. He had given Oliver an injection of the antidote hoping it would work so far it was but Oliver was still in a drug induced frenzy. For hours Diggle held Oliver through the pain and soothed him as he relived memories of the past praying for a reprieve for his blonde lover. Finally as morning broke Oliver seemed to get back to normal and Diggle stood up to loom over the blonde while running his hand through the dirty blonde hair.

He saw Oliver open his blue green eyes and tense up before relaxing when he felt the soothing hands run through his hair. Diggle had tried to get Oliver to rest but he sighed when the man persisted and the bodyguard sighed as he followed his blonde lover home to the Queen mansion to help his sister. Diggle figured that if he couldn't stop Oliver from doing something stupid and hazardous to his health and safety he could at least follow him and back him up in case he needed the help.

~Diggle/Oliver~

Diggle pulled Oliver into a passionate kiss putting everything he felt into it. So much had happened since the two of them got together and they barely got any time alone. Everyone pinewoods they were together which just made it worse when they were interrupted. For the first time in a while the two of them had time alone which was a relief. Clothes were gone before either of them knew it but that was okay with the two of them. Diggle picked Oliver up and the blonde moaned wrapping his legs around the bodyguards waist. Oliver moaned when instead of going to the bed Diggle instead sat down in the chair.

"Finally alone," Diggle said breathe less.

"No talking please," Oliver whimpered wanting more of the other man.

Diggle responded in kind by shutting him up with a kiss and letting his hands roam over the other mans scared body, a scared body he loved oh so much. Diggle cursed when he remembered that they needed lube and condoms but Oliver laughed as he reached down to where his jacket was and pulled some out. Diggle kept his surprise hidden because right now he just wanted to have the blonde moaning out his name. He rolled the condom on and squirted some lube on his fingers then threw the bottle somewhere behind him.

Oliver's laugh turned into a moan when Diggle inserted a finger into him. There was some pain because it had been years since he had been with a man but it also felt so good. Oliver whimpered when his lover hit his prostate and he saw Diggle's eyes dark and the blonde hid his face in the other mans neck. Soon two fingers were inside of him scissoring their way to his prostate and Oliver didn't know how much more he could take. He didn't have to wait long before fingers were replaced with Diggle's erection and both of them were moaning. The both of them knew that they wouldn't last long so a frenzied pace was set and the both of them were on edge. Diggle wanted to see Oliver come first so he pulled the blonde hair causing the billionaire to arch his neck which was perfect for the bodyguard. Diggle bite into the juncture of the blondes neck causing Oliver to not only let out a loud moan but come as well. Diggle followed soon after and he used all his strength to hold Oliver up in his arms as the two of them caught their breath.

After a couple of minutes Diggle stood up, still inside Oliver, and walked to the bedroom. He slipped out of the blonde and set him down on the bed and smiled when he curled up in a ball. Diggle walked to the bathroom, cleaned himself up and then walked over to the bed with the washcloth to do the same to Oliver. After he was done cleaning the both of them up he threw the washcloth and settled into bed with his lover. Oliver settled on top of his chest and Diggle ran his hand through his lovers blonde hair soothing the both of them to sleep.

(The Island - 5 years ago)

Oliver gasped as he came up and his lungs filled up with water. Last thing he remembered was Yao Fei knocking him out and now he was swimming to the shore. When he got to land he felt something in his pocket and saw a map leading him to a circled point and written in Chinese was "survive". This was a message to him from Yao Fei and while Oliver knew that he shouldn't trust his mentor he figured that maybe there was a reason to why he changed sides. Right now his only focus was on surviving this island and getting back home to his family.

~Diggle/Oliver~

(Present)

After having woken from a nightmare of the past he put his clothes on and headed over to the dinner that Carly worked at to get them some food. Oliver got a call from Felicity asking if they could meet so he had told her to come to the diner. To say Oliver was shocked at what he found out was an understatement. Oliver had thought that his father was the only one with he book but from what had Felicity had just told him he wasn't and it just might be the reason Walter was now gone. Oliver prayed to whatever god there was that his mother wasn't involved because he didn't know what he would do if she was.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

(Present)

They say that when you die that your life flashes before your eyes and before the island Oliver would have laughed at that but now he believes it because there had been many times on the island when he was near death that he saw his life play out like a movie. The first time had been the Queens Gambit had first crashed and all he thought about was Sarah and Laurel. There were other times but none that were really worth mentioning. Now though it was different because not only did he have a lover he didn't want to leave he also had his sister and mother to live for as well.

Things had changed completely in three days and not all for he better. Diggle and him had another major fight but this time it was about his mother and her involvement in this whole thing. Oliver had been so angry when Diggle had started following his mother and the two of them didn't speak for a little bit not until Laurel had been taken by Cyrus Vanch. Oliver had basically cut her off to keep her safe but then Diggle had called him over to play the recording for him. After that Oliver knew that he needed to question his mother and it broke his heart. The thing that broke his heart more though was the fact that he wanted to believe his mother so badly and almost didn't until he was shot. Now he was lying in Felicitys car bleeding out and trying to hold on as she drove to the warehouse. Oliver didn't hold on for long and he blacked out into a dark abyss praying that he would survive this just so he could hold Diggle one last time.

Diggle had been waiting for Oliver so the two of them could talk about what happened. This was he second big fight that the two of them had and while he wasn't sorry for following Moira he was sorry for not talking it over more with Oliver first but given the fact that the blonde wouldn't listen it stood to reason that he wouldn't talk to him first. He heard frantic footsteps and heels clicking as they ran down he steps and Diggle didn't think he just grabbed his gun and swung around to point it at Felicity Smoak. He saw blood on her blouse and felt fear run through him at what it meant.

"I need help. He's really heavy," she said out of breath.

Diggle didn't think just moved as he grabbed the metal gurney and ran outside to his injured lover. He tried not to think about the blood or their relationship because he knew that if he did he would lose it completely. He got Oliver back inside and saw the wound feeling a little bit of relief when he realized that it missed a vital artery. With Felicity's help he stabilized Oliver and sighed when he was finished because now it was a waiting game to see if Oliver would survive. Diggle silently willed he blonde to live because if he didn't then he would be utterly devastated.

"How are you taking this?" Diggle asked hoping to distract himself with conversation.

"I figured something was up with him. I mean the bulletridden laptop, the mysterious energy drink. I may be blonde but I'm not that blonde," Felicity said walking around.

"Oliver sometimes doesn't come up with good excuses," Diggle joked trying to keep himself together.

"You guys are kind of obvious about your relationship," Felicity stated.

"I love him and he loves me," Diggle said.

Felicity was kind enough to leave it at that and walked over to look at the lousy computers. Diggle walked over to his lover and lowered his face next to Oliver's as he examined the injured blonde. The bodyguard ran a hand through the blonde hair and prayed for his lover to open the blue green eyes he loved so much. Diggle had already lost his brother which was bad enough, he didn't know how he would survive if Oliver died.

(The Island - 5 years ago)

After having broken his hand to get out of the restraints he didn't expect that he would be trained by Slade instead of being killed. It also didn't help that the man who tortured him was Slade's old friend and ASIS partner Billy Wintergreen. When he went after Yao Fei to rescue him he thought for sure he was dead and then Slade showed up saving him and killing Wintergreen. Now though Slade was injured and while they hoped that they set Fryers back he was still a threat but he was a hired hitman so the two of them had only hit the surface and if they wanted to escape they needed to go deeper and not only figure out who had sent Fyer here but also figure out who it was that was being held against Yao Fei to make him work with the mercenary.

(Present)

To say that Diggle was happy when Oliver survived was an understatement and he was actually glad to have Felicity working with them even if it was only until they found Walter. After the blonde girl left Diggle watched his lover and saw how tired he was and not just sleep deprived tired but the kind of tired where you didn't want to deal with any emotions or anyone but just rest and get away from all the chaos. Diggle felt bad because it was him that had pushed Oliver to investigate his mother but if he had known the toll it would take on Oliver he wouldn't have said anything at all. Luckily it seemed that Oliver didn't believe that his mother was really involved and Diggle held him when tears escaped at the horror of having to hear his mother beg. The bodyguard prayed that he was wrong about Moira even though he had a gut feeling he wasn't but he wasn't going to investigate because his lover deserved better and better was what he was getting.

"I'm sorry," Diggle said because while he thought her activities were suspicious he didn't like the events that transpired.

"I understand," Oliver said walking forward until he was just a breath away from his lover.

Diggle could see the fatigue in his body and he pulled Oliver into a hug and rested his head on top of the blonde's who hid his in the bodyguard's chest. Oliver closed his eyes as he let the tension come off of him and sighed when he felt a hand rubbing soothing hands through his hair. Both of them had pretty much forgotten about their fight which tended to happen in near death experiences. Little did the two of them know that soon there would be more danger for them lurking in the shadows and it would test their relationship greatly?


End file.
